Federal jury convicts man of sexually assaulting woman on plane

By

Ray Downs

Aug. 19 (UPI) -- An Indian man faces prison and deportation after a federal jury convicted him of sexually assaulting a woman on board a Spirit Airlines flight, U.S. attorneys announced.

Prosecutors said Prabhu Ramamoorthy, 35, touched a woman as she slept in the seat next to him on a flight from Las Vegas to Detroit in January. The woman woke to find her pants unbuttoned and unzipped.

"Everyone has the right to be secure and safe when they travel on airplanes," U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said in a statement. "We will not tolerate the behavior of anyone who takes advantage of victims who are in a vulnerable position, and we are glad the jury agreed."

During the investigation, Ramamoorthy admitted to police that he attempted to assault the woman with his fingers. During the trial, his attorney, James Amberg, said Ramamoorthy gave an incriminating statement because he believed he would be tortured if he didn't -- a belief partly inspired by a 2015 Indian film about corrupt police, The Washington Post reported.

Ramamoorthy is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 12. He is in the United States on a work visa and prosecutors said he will be deported after serving his prison term.